Occupation salary profile

Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators

SOC 43-5053 BLS OEWS May 2025

Prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Examine, sort, and route mail. Load, operate, and occasionally adjust and repair mail processing, sorting, and canceling machinery. Keep records of shipments, pouches, and sacks, and perform other duties related to mail handling within the postal service. Includes postal service mail sorters and processors employed by USPS contractors. Excludes “Postal Service Clerks” (43-5051) and “Postal Service Mail Carriers” (43-5052).

National median · BLS
$58,470
▲ +3.43% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$59,430
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
105,200
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$45,530
25th$48,880
Median (50th)$58,470
75th$75,030
90th — top pay$75,280

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators

BLS projects employment of postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators to decline 5.3% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%. About 7,300 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
101,200 → 95,900
-5,300 jobs
Projected change
-5.3%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
7,300
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-declining jobs → Best-paying jobs that need no formal education →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Monitoring3.1
  • Coordination3.0
  • Critical Thinking3.0
  • Reading Comprehension3.0
  • Speaking3.0
  • Active Listening2.9
  • Judgment and Decision Making2.9
  • Operations Monitoring2.9
  • Time Management2.9
  • Operation and Control2.8
Top knowledge areas
  • English Language3.0
  • Production and Processing2.5
  • Customer and Personal Service2.4
  • Administrative2.3
  • Administration and Management2.2
  • Public Safety and Security2.1
  • Transportation2.1
  • Computers and Electronics1.9
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft WordSAP softwareTeradata DatabaseAddress Management System AMSAutomated Package Processing System APPSBarcode reader softwareDelivery operations information system DOISDelivery Routing System DRSDirectory softwareElectronic Time Clock ETCMulti-line optical character reader OCR softwareNCR Advanced StoreTime and Attendance Collection System TACS

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators do

  • Clear jams in sorting equipment.
  • Operate various types of equipment, such as computer scanning equipment, addressographs, mimeographs, optical character readers, and bar-code sorters.
  • Sort odd-sized mail by hand, sort mail that other workers have been unable to sort, and segregate items requiring special handling.
  • Direct items according to established routing schemes, using computer-controlled keyboards or voice-recognition equipment.
  • Check items to ensure that addresses are legible and correct, that sufficient postage has been paid or the appropriate documentation is attached, and that items are in a suitable condition for processing.
  • Bundle, label, and route sorted mail to designated areas, depending on destinations and according to established procedures and deadlines.
  • Move containers of mail, using equipment, such as forklifts and automated "trains".
  • Open and label mail containers.
Also called
Automation ClerkDistribution ClerkMail HandlerMail ProcessorComputer Forwarding System Markup Clerk (CFS Markup Clerk)Flat Sorting Machine Clerk (FSM Clerk)Mail Handler Equipment OperatorMail Processing ClerkParcel Post Distribution Machine Operator (PDPMO)Small Package and Bundle Sorter Clerk (SPBS Clerk)
More job titles for this occupation (33)
AssorterDead Mail CheckerDistribution HandlerDistributorEquipment OperatorFile Conversion OperatorFlat Sorter OperatorFlat Sorter ProcessorGeneral ExpeditorLetter Sorting Machine Operator (LSM Operator)Mail Distribution ClerkMail Distribution Scheme ExaminerMail DistributorMail ExaminerMail Forwarding System Markup ClerkMail Handler AssistantMail Handler SorterMail OpenerMail Processing AgentMail SorterMail WeigherMailing Section ClerkOperations Label ClerkPackage SorterPost Office Markup ClerkPostal Service Mail ProcessorPostal Transportation ClerkPresort Letter OperatorProcessorSorterSorting Machine OperatorZip SorterZMT Operator (Zip Mail Translator Operator)

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.